13.1

I ran/completed my first half-marathon today! It was actually a pretty nice run (on the Rock Creek Trail and Capital Crescent Trail), despite the heat and humidity. The record high for September 14 is 94 degrees, but we only got up to 93. I'm not sure what the humidity was, but it was enough to feel like I was swimming through the air. I looked like I'd been swimming, too, when I finished. My shirt and shorts didn't have a single dry spot on them! All that water/gatorade intake (plus not getting to the starting line early enough to use the bathroom before the race) means I lost about 9 minutes total waiting in line for porta-potties. So, my recorded pace was 12:26, but I would have been between 11:00 and 12:00 had I not had those long stops. But I realized that my comfort was more important than my time; without an iPod to distract me, I had little else to think about for 2 hours and 47 minutes but my full bladder. So, lesson learned for next time: get to the start early enough to rid myself of my coffee! Below is a picture of me at the finish line. Those shorty-shorts aren't doing me any favors. I wish Zach had gotten a shot of me with my weight on at least one leg; maybe then I would have had the appearance of some leg muscle!